Clutch device.



PATENTED OCT. 30,1906. T. L. & T. J. STURTEVANT. CLUTCH DEVICE. APPLICATION FILED APR.2,1906.

To all whom it may concern:

UNITED smrns PATENT oFFron.

' THOMAS LEGGETT STURTEVANT, OF QUINCY, AN-D THOMAS JOSEPH STURTEVANT, OF WELLESLEY, MASSACHUSETTS, ASSIGNORS T STURTEVANT MILL COMPANY, OF PORTLAND, MAINE, A. CORPO- "Barron or MAINE;

neuron-a euros.

Be it known that we, THOMAS Lneen'rr STURTEVANT, residing at Quincy, and

THOMAS JOSEPH STURTEVANT, residing at Wellesley, in the county of Norfolk and State of Massachusetts, citizens of the United States, have invented or discovered certain new and useful Improvements in Clutch Devices, of which the following is a specification, reference being had therein to the accom anying drawings.

's invention relates to a clutch-device powertransmitting mechanism .more especially adapted for use with motor-vehicles,

ut which is also suitable for other purposes, the present invention being an improvement upon the invention covered by our United States Patent No. 766,551, granted August 2,

' 1904. In the device covered by our said patent the clutching elements are forced into frictional engagement with each other .by arms or weights moved outward by centrifugal force against the stress of springs, and as the stress of the said springs increases with the outward movements of the weights the power of the latter in forcing the clutching elements into frictional contact with each other became less and less in proportion to the increased speed of rotation as the speed becomes greater. in the present improved construction the clutching elements are forced into frictional engagement with each other by outwardly moving or sliding weights and cooperating inclined surfaces,

said weights being preferably provided with rollers to diminish friction. In this improved construction the leverage of the said weights against a cooperating disk or masterplate increases with the outward movements of the weights, due to centrifugal force, in a ratio greater than the increased resistance or stress of the springs which normally hold the clutching elements out of engaging frictional contact and which have a tendency to move the said weights inward as the centrifugal force, due to diminished speed of rotation,

decreases. Thus the power of the centrifugal weights in forcing the clutching elements into engagement with each other will be increased with the outward movements of said weights instead of being diminished, as in our former construction.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 is Specification of Letters Patent. Application fil d April 2, 1906. Serial No. 309.479.

Patented Oct. eoneoe.

a central sectional view .of a clutch-device power-transmitting mechanism embodying the present inventlon. Fig. 2 is a detail section through one of the centrifugal weights and its guideways on line 2 2, Fig.

Referring to the drawings, 12 denotes a gear-casing which when the invention is to be used in connection with automobiles will preferably be bolted or otherwise rigidly attached to the crank-casing of the engine or motor, the said casing 12 inclosing a flywheel 13, which is ada ted to contain a lubricant and within which the clutch devices are housed, so that they may run in oil. Withln the fly-wheel in the form of the invention herein illustrated are three clutch wheels or shells 14, 15, and 16, the periphcries of which are in notched enga ement with disks 17, which are intended to e frictionally engaged with flat rings or disks 18, which are in notched engagement at their eripheries with the inner Wall of-the said 5 wheel 13. be rigidly connected with a driving-shaft or other source of power by means of a hub The fly-wheel 13 will in practice 19 or otherwise, and when the several clutch I 7 devices are out of operatic 1 said fly-wheel will of course be free to rotate independently of the driven or power transmitting hollow shaft 20, which-is to be operatively connected with the axle or wheels to be driven. The clutch-wheel 14 is splined directly to a shaft 21, so that the full speed of the fly-wheel will be imparted to the said shaft '21 when the high-speed clutch device (represented by the clutch-wheel 14 and the clutch-disks, which will impart movement to, the said wheel 14) is set in operation, as will be hereinafter described The shaft 21 is provided with a flange 22, one face of which is constructed to form one member of a grab-clutch 23, the other member of which is formed on the adjacent face of a gear-wheel 24, splined to the hollow power-transmitting shaft 20 and slidingly mountedon said hollow shaft. When the members of this grab-clutch are in engagement, as shown inFig. 1, and the high-speed clutch-wheel 14 is in clutching engagement with the fly-wheel 13 the full speed of said fiy-wheel and of the shaft 21 will be imparted to the driven or power-transmitting shaft 20.

The clutch-wheels l5 and 16 are indirectly connected with' the power-transmitting shaft 20 through the gearing and the countershaft 28, (shown in Fig.1,) so as to provide for three speeds and for reverse drive, as fully set forth in our application filed December 7, 1905, No. 290,721, of which application this case, specially relating to the clutch construction, is a division, so that a full description of this change-speed gearing is not herein necessary.

The clutch rings or disks 17 and 18 are normally held out of frictional clutching engagement with each other by springs 33, 34, and 35 and are forced into frictional clutching engagement by centrifugal weights 36, mounted to slide in and out radially of the fly-wheel 13. To this end said flywheel is provided with guideways afforded by radially-disposed plates 37, attached to the inner wall of the fiy-wheel and fitting in grooves or recesses formed in the said centrifugal Weights, so that the latter may move in and out on the guides or guideways afforded by the said plates. To force the clutchingdisks into clutching engagement with each other, the centrifugal weights are provided with'inolined inner faces to cooperate with the inclined face of a master-plate 38, which bears against one of the clutch rings or disks 17, so that as the centrifugal weights move outward radially the said master-plate will be moved by wedging action toward the said springs 33, 34, and 35 to set the clutch or clutches, the stress of said springs serving when the centrifugal force is relaxed by a retardation of the s eed of rotation of the flywheel to force t e centrifugal weights inward by wedging action, causing said weights to move inward down the inclined face of said master-plate.

To facilitate the inward and outward radial movements of the centrifugal weights, said weights are each preferably provided with wheels or rollers 39 and 40, mounted for free rotation on pins 41. The wheels or rollers 40, which are somewhat smaller in diameter than the wheels or rollers 39, bear against guides or runways afforded by the plates 37, while the wheels or rollers 39 bear against the master-plate 38, but are received in grooves in the plates 37, so as to be free from contact with said plates. The antifriction construction afforded by the wheels or rollers 39 and 40 makes the sliding or in-andout radial movements of the centrifugal weights more sensitive and much more easily effected than they otherwise would be, as will be understood.

The stress of the springs 33, 34, and 35 may be regulated by means of the screw-plugs &2 bearing against the outer ends of said springs, the low-speed springs 33 hearing at their inher ends against the mastenplate 38, while the other springs 34 and 35 bear against the clutch rings or disks 18.

seaaae Fixed to the outer end of the hollow shaft 20 is a hub 51', which is preferably splined to the tapering outer end of the said shaft and held to the latter by a headed screw 52, tapped in said hollow shaft 20. The said hub 51 will in practice be connected with the mechanism to be driven.

The 0 eration of the invention is as follows: \Vhen tffe fly-wheel 13 is at rest or is rotating very slowly, the centrifugal weights 36 occupy the inner inoperative positions shown in Fig. 1, being held in such positions by the stress of the sprin s 33, 34, and 35. When the said centrifuga weights are in such inner positions, the clutch rings or disks ]7 and 18 are not in holding frictional engagement with each other, and the fly-wheel is therefore free to rotate independently of the clutch and gearing mechanisms. l/Vhen the speed of rotation of the fiy-Wheel is increased, so that the centrifugal force of the weights 36 will be sufficient to overcome the stress of the lowspeed springs 33, the said weights will be moved outward radially and the masterplate 38 will be caused by the wedging action of the centrifugal weights to compress said springs and produce a clutching engagement between the inner disks 17 and 18, so as to impart rotation to the lowspeed clutchwheel 16, and thus through the connections hereinbefore described will cause said clutchwheel to impart rotation to the powertrans mitting or driven shaft 20. A further increase of speed of rotation of the fiy-wheel will successively cause the second-speed clutch-wheel 15 and the high-speed clutchwheel 14 to be set in operation when the speed of rotation of the fly-wheel is sufficient to cause by centrifugal action the weights 36 to move outward, so as to overcome the stress of the other sets of springs 34 and 35.

Havin thus described our invention, we claim an desire to secure by Letters Patent- 1 In a power-transmitting mechanism, the combination with clutching-disks, of radially-movable, wedge-formed weights which, by centrifugal action, automatically force said clutching-disks into frictional engagement with each other, and springs opposing the action of said weights.

2. In a power-transmitting mechanism, the combination with clutching-disks, of ra dially-movable, wedge-formed weights, running on rollers, and which, by centrifugal action, automatically force said clutching-disks into frictional engagement with eachother, and springs opposing the action of said weights. I

3. In a power-transmitting mechanism, the combination with a fly-wheel provided interiorly with guides or ways, friction clutchdisks inclos'ed within said fiy-wheel, wedgeformed weights radially movable on said guides or ways and operating by centrifugal action to force the said clutch-disks i nto frictional engagement with each other,

and springs opposing the action of said weights, said weights being provided with rollers to render their movements more easy and sensitive.

5. In a power-transmitting mechanism; the combination with multiple-disk friction clutch device, of ra ially-movable wed eformed weights for automatically forcing t e clutching parts into frictional engagement with each other by centrifugal action, and springs opposing the action of said weights.

6. In a power-transmittin mechanism, the combination witha multip e-disk friction clutch device, of radially-movable, wedgeformed weights, running on rollers, for autofrictional engagement with, each other by centrifugal action, and springs opposing the action of said weights. 1'

' 7. In a power-transmitting mechanism, the combination with a series of frictiondisks and amasterlate having an inclined outer face, of radia ly-sliding, centrifugallye operating wedge-formed weights for forcing said disks into clutching action, and springs opposing the action of said weights.

8. In a power-transmitting mechanism, the combination with'a series of frictiondisks and a master'- late having an inclined outer face, of radia ly-sliding, centrifugallyoperati ng wedge-formed weights for forcing said disks into clutching action, springs for opposin the action of said weights, and a flywheel within which said parts are inclosed.

In testimony whereof we afiiX our signatures in presence of two witnesses.

- THOMAS LEGGETT S'IURTEVANT.

THOMAS JOSEPH STURTEVANT.

Witnesses:

H. G. ALLBRIGHT, GRACE G. GODFREY.

matically forcing the clutching parts into 

